


Prey: A Bounty Hunter's Tale

by atarip



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, takes place before episode IV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-22 23:41:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6097738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atarip/pseuds/atarip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Koda is a former Jedi turned Bounty Hunter who finds herself in way over her head with her assigned target: Boba Fett.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Mos Eisley was bustling, and though the inside of the cantina was cool, she could practically feel the sweltering heat of the sand just from looking out the window. Robed figures hurried to their destinations, few socializing. One did not have friends on Tatooine; the various criminal enterprises attracted the least empathetic beings in the galaxy, and there were more than a few cutthroats lurking around. She tried to make out their faces, trying to match them with any of the wanted ads she had recently seen. None stood out.

Koda dragged her eyes away from the window and gave the cantina a sweeping glance. The room was small and dark; patrons sat close together whispering conspiratorially, or else heatedly arguing under hushed breaths. She had managed to find a corner that was not too crowded, all the better to watch people come and go.  _ Eventually, someone with a bounty on their head would be foolish enough to come inside _ . She kept telling herself this, hoping it was true.

She was beginning to get angry, repeatedly reminding herself to keep her emotions under control. She had been petitioning Gardulla the Hutt for a bounty for a week now, but the Hutt was not taking her seriously. This wasn’t without reason, though. Koda was young and did not yet have any prey to her name. There was no proof that she could get the job done. Gardulla would be better off hiring Cad Bane or even Bossk the Trandoshan to track someone down, not some girl no one knew.

What infuriated Koda was that she was perfectly capable of handling whatever job was thrown at her, but revealing yourself to be a Force user was suicide in the early days of the Galactic Empire. No, she couldn’t rely on the Force to make a name for herself. She needed this bounty, and she needed it from Gardulla. This Hutt had the tendency to hire individual hunters for jobs, rather than posting them for all to see. Koda was confident, but still, she would rather have a hunt of her own than compete with a much more well-equipped bounty hunter.

_ There won’t be anything else interesting happening today.  _ She pushed herself off the wall and made her way upstairs. Renting a room here had used up the last of her credits. Without a bounty, she would not even be able to get off-world.

Koda spent a few hours perched on her bed, trying to meditate. It was difficult, with the hopelessness of her cause weighing on her. The Force was pulling her here, she felt it, but it just didn’t make sense. Joining the underworld would have been easier on Coruscant, so why was she being drawn to this desert?  _ Well, whatever the reason, I’m stuck here for now.  _ Not for the first time, she found herself doubting her connection to the Force.

There was a knock on her door. Without moving, Koda tried to examine whoever was on the other side, but she could sense nothing.  _ I really am useless, aren’t I? _ She made her way over to the door, opening it only slightly.

_ Well, that’s why there was no feeling,  _ Koda thought, partially relieved. A droid stood in front of her, its blank face staring.  _ How unsettling. _

“The Exalted Mistress Gardulla has agreed to an audience with you, Mistress Koda. She will see you now, if you are ready,” the droid told her. If droids could have emotions, Koda would have sworn that this one was amused. However, in no place to question the messenger, Koda nodded.

“Let’s go now, then.”

***

         As soon as she entered the smoky, grimy room, Koda could feel the palpable excitement clinging to the elaborate consortium before her. The lair was underground, far into the small mountain range nearby, and Gardulla the Hutt had instructed the droid to send Koda to the main audience chamber. Everywhere she looked, her eyes met jeers. Gardulla kept a Hutt’s usual company of criminals and miscreants, mostly male. Koda noticed slimy grins on some faces, and disgust in others. A far cry from the pristine Jedi Temple of her youth. A few made rude gestures as she walked past; she forced herself to ignore them. Shifting her bag more squarely on her back, Koda directed all of her focus on Gardulla, trying to assess what was going on. Hutts did not normally change their mind so abruptly, and up until this point all of Koda’s appeals for employment had been laughed off, and she would find herself dismissed. Gardulla sat above the others on a platform near the farthest wall; four bodyguards were visible near her, though Koda guessed there were more hidden in the crowd around herself. 

           Far more unpleasant than the men in the crowd was the look on Gardulla’s face. The giant slug creature was wearing the most upsetting smile. The corners of her mouth lifted and pulled apart to reveal a gaping chasm; Koda caught herself picturing, not for the first time, what it would be like to fall into the Hutts large mouth and pushed the thought out of her head. Gardulla's giant, colorless tongue flicked out repeatedly, as though she could taste Koda’s unease. She braced herself for either a cruel joke or an attempt on her life.

“Koda,” the Hutt greeted her, spreading her arms wide, lengthening out the vowels so that her name sounded several syllables too long.

“Gardulla the Hutt, your magnificence, thank you for the honor of an audience. It is much appreciated. I had hoped that you were not irritated by my repeated appeals.” Koda bowed her head slightly, not enjoying the necessary flattery.

           “Never, my good friend. I have finally found a task for you, if you still wish to assist me,” the Hutt paused to chuckle, “Should you succeed in this, I will be more than willing to consider contracting you in the future.” Gardulla seemed smug; her drawn out words only heightened Koda’s suspicions. She noticed people chuckling and nudging each other out of the corner of her eye.  _ I’ve got a bad feeling about this. _ There was something wrong here, she knew, but leaving was not an option. Koda was fairly certain she could make it out of the hall if an ambush against her began, and started planning an escape in the back of her mind.  

            She noticed the Hutt staring at her expectantly, and Koda cleared her throat, “Thank you, illustrious Gardulla, you are too kind. Whatever assignment you have for me will be completed quickly, I assure you.”

            “Good.” Gardulla's eyes narrowed, her smile even wider than before.  _ By the Force, something is  _ very _ wrong _ . Koda felt the tendrils of mockery from Gardulla stretch out from the monstrous creature. Gardulla squared herself like a gundark making its final approach on a particularly sumptuous meal. Koda half suspected she might know what came next: surely some impossible task. Koda steadied herself, remembering her training from all those years ago.  _ I am no ordinary bounty hunter. I am a Jedi, and I- _

“Bring me Boba Fett. Alive.”

_ Am doomed. _


	2. Chapter 2

_How can he stand to be so patient?_ Koda wondered, watching Fett through a pair of binoculars. She had followed him from system to system, waiting to get an edge up on him. Now they were jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Koda staying as high above him as she could. Fett didn't appear to have noticed her; he had spent the whole time going after a single target. From what she observed from a distance, he enjoyed the chase.

Night had fallen on Coruscant. The city-planet was still just as busy as though it were the middle of the day, with speeders commuting in the distance on all sides. The towering skyscrapers glittered, the lights making Koda feel nostalgic for a more innocent time in her life. She had been here for three days now.

Koda had of _course_ heard of Boba Fett before, as had most everyone in the underground, but until now she had never seen him in person. She had to admit, there were few others who looked as...intimidating. The green mandalorian armor covered him from his waist to his neck, and underneath he wore a grey flight suit with large pockets filled with who-knows-what instruments of terror. A brown cape was clipped to one shoulder, which she found strange, eccentric almost. Fett’s helmet was the most intimidating part of his outfit; its narrow, T-shaped visor made Koda feel as if his face was permanently fixed in a steely glare.

_S_ he couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to have that glare directed at her, and was too ashamed to acknowledge the flutter in her chest and rush of heat to her cheeks. She was drawn in by his slow, deliberate movements. She should have made a move to capture him by now, she knew, but watching him was mesmerizing. He seemed so calculated and sure, there wasn't a single instance where he appeared to second guess his actions.

 _I'm way out of my league._ Fett finally had his target cornered, a Rodian who cowered and probably begged for mercy. Koda looked from the Rodian to Fett, who was staring at the trembling mess before him. She wondered if he was speaking to the catch, but she was too far away to hear. She was three hundred feet above them, two rooftops over. From this angle, she could lay down flat and avoid being seen. Yet again, she found herself so caught up with watching the bounty hunter that she was not thinking about how to take him down.

Gardulla had granted her a large sum to be used however Koda deemed necessary in the pursuit of Fett. Koda had purchased a sniper and a pistol blaster, both standard models, though she made sure to acquire a few paralyzing darts for the sniper. The rest of the money had been used for a ship. Low again on credits at this point, she had to sacrifice firepower for speed, in order to keep up with Fett’s own _Slave I_.

She broke out of her trance when Fett raised his rifle, aiming it at the Rodian’s neck. Quickly, she picked up the sniper rifle. Looking through the scope, she aimed carefully for his neck, where there was no armor. She knew she should take the shot, but a part of her wanted to see him finish his job. Koda watched as Fett took his time watching the target squirm before he pulled the trigger. The small cloud of smoke that erupted from blaster on skin blocked her sight for a moment. Koda peered through the smoke, silently cursing herself for not springing for the heat vision model. The cloud cleared and there stood Fett, triumphant in victory, _and staring directly at her_.

She ducked, pressing herself as flat as possible to the roof. At the same time, a blaster bolt shot over her head, so close that she could feel the heat. _How could he have known I was here? I've been so careful to stay out of range._ Two more shots followed the first, then silence.

_Now I know how his prey feels._ Her heart rate was rising fast, and she had to consciously slow her breathing. _Focus… he’s probably going to leave you and turn in his capture._ The thermal detonator that landed a few meters ahead of her convinced her otherwise. Koda rolled sideways around the corner of the building she had been perched on. The controlled explosion barely grazing the edges of her flight-suit. _Time to go_.

The sound of rockets reached her ears, getting louder and louder. She rolled over and looked for an escape. The only way out was retracing her earlier steps. Koda knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun Fett, but she might be able to buy herself enough time to come up with an attack. _Attack_...Koda had not been this exhilarated in years. The aftermath of the Clone Wars had brought a constant edge of stealth, secrecy, and fear to her life, but a straight fight awakened something much more simple inside her.

Pushing herself up, she ran to the adjacent edge of the roof and allowed herself a small look before she leaped. _Long fall_. _Painful death_. The sound of rockets grew even closer. _Though less painful than that_. She jumped, a choice she regretted almost instantly. The fall was longer than she thought, and even though she angled herself to catch a slope from an adjacent tower, she staggered and collapsed when she landed. Focusing on the sound of Fett landing above her, she tried to stand. She had to prop herself on the wall to even get up, and she realized that she couldn’t put weight on her right foot. _Of course, she thought. All of these years running and I’m finally going down over a broken ankle._ She blamed Fett, not because he was about to kill her, exactly, but because he had caught her embarrassingly off-guard.

Lacking any other options, she pressed herself as close to the wall as she could, and silently un-holstered her pistol, waiting. Fett was above her now, and had the advantage. His roof had a small overhang that stuck out slightly, shielding her from view. The second she stepped out, she knew she was dead. She could picture him up there, slowly pacing back and forth, waiting for her to venture out.

   _Two can play at this game, Fett._ She resolved to wait, wanting to see his next move. If she focused hard enough, she could feel his presence up there, but couldn't understand it. She could sense him, but not analyze him. She expected a rocket or thermal detonator to come falling on her, but nothing happened.

 Hours seemed to have passed, but a glance at her timepiece told her it was only thirty minutes. The pain in her ankle was agonizing and, though she knew boredom should be beyond her, she found herself wishing for something to happen. _How can he stand to wait like this?_ For the first time in years, she began to notice her body’s discomfort. Pressing against the wall was uncomfortable, the pain in her ankle threatened to make her cry out, she was even hungry. There was something else causing her discomfort, also.

A _different_ kind of hunger, which she wrote off as a side effect of her body’s natural physiological arousal to being prey _._ In her training, she had been taught to suppress such needs. Why were they surfacing now? She knew it was connected to Fett, but couldn't understand how. Tired of waiting, she decided enough was enough. She had to find a way to get him down to her level, or else this would go nowhere.

She sighed, then took out her sniper. _Fett only knows I have this one, he doesn’t know about my pistol,_ thought Koda. She slid it as far away from her as she could manage. It looked oddly lonely sitting there, as if she were already dead and wouldn't be coming back for it. She pushed this thought out of her mind. She could still subdue him with the Force, at least she hoped. With the way he was affecting her, she would have to put all her concentration into channeling energy.

She prayed she wouldn't have to use the _other_ weapon hidden in her bag.

      For a few seconds nothing happened, and Koda sat there feeling stupid. But she still felt him up there. She pushed herself as tall as possible, doing the best to hide her pain. Fett didn't seem like the kind of man to show mercy.

       She heard the rockets and braced herself, looking up. Fett hovered above her, all she could see was the fire from his jet pack. Koda took a deep breath, finding comfort in knowing Fett’s position at last. Koda, carefully keeping her weight off of her bad ankle, slid forward, aimed her pistol and-

**_BANG._ **

Koda felt her pistol leave her hand as Fett shot it with mandalorian precision. Cursing, she retracted her hand as she felt pain shoot through it. She looked skyward, expecting the worst.

Fett lowered himself slowly, the rifle he had just used to kill the Rodian was now pointed squarely at her un-armored torso. He landed heavily, just feet from her, and her breath sped up. Her chest was heaving, and she knew she must have looked crazy, because she certainly felt it.

         Fett kept the gun pointed at her, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from that visor. Ever so slowly, he tilted his head just slightly to the side; he was considering her. The thought of being examined in such a vulnerable state by a man like Fett made her knees tremble, but Koda forced herself to remain standing. She was in over her head, she knew. Gardulla had to have realized she wouldn't be a match for him. Not without the Force, anyway. How foolish she felt.

       Fett took a few steps closer to her; he was so close that she could see her own wide eyes reflected in his helmet, staring up at him. Feeling embarrassed at how obviously affected she was by him, Koda lowered her gaze.

      “I want to know who sent you after me.” He told her. Her eyes snapped up and her lips parted slightly; his voice was harsh and steely, with the unmistakable air of a man well-practiced at masking his true intentions. She couldn't even think of the proper response. She tried to come up with an excuse, to say anything, but the words wouldn't come.

    “I said,” he came even closer, grabbing her chin, “who sent you after me?” It was not a question, it was a command. He had lowered his voice, and Koda was feeling both overwhelmed and that Fett wasn't being fair. He was holding his rifle In one hand now, pointed up towards the sky. Did he not think of her as a threat?

   Her fingers twitched, wanting to push him away. She was tempted to fight, with every bit of Force she could use. She couldn't, though. Something was telling her that the time for that was not yet at hand. Still, she didn't want Fett to think she was weak. Soon, he would feel exactly the same as she did now, she promised herself.

   He seemed to grow impatient with her silence, and dropped his hand from her chin. She was infuriated that she missed the contact.

   “I'll make you talk, then.” He grabbed her upper arm and pulled her away from the wall. She wasn't ready for the movement and ended up stepping with her right foot. This time she couldn't keep the cry of pain down, and nearly fainted. He looked down at her foot, but made no reaction other than to wrap his arm around Koda’s waist and pull her close to him, so that they were pressed together. His armor felt cool and hard through her thin flight suit. That, coupled with his arm wrapped so tightly around her that she could feel the muscles in his bicep one one side, with his fingers curling into her other side, made her feel sure that she couldn't withstand much more of this.

    “Hold on.” With a roar from his jetpack they were moving up, to the roof where Fett had waited. She couldn't say she hated the thrill of being pressed against him, completely at his mercy. She looked hard at where his face was, trying, _willing_ to see it through the visor, but it was too dark to see even this close.

    When they landed, Fett took his time letting go of her, even though he knew now that she couldn't get away. He kept his arm behind her, bracing her, as though he thought she would need him for balance. She scoffed at this gesture, keeping her injured foot off the ground.

    Koda was surprised to see the _Slave I_ waiting for them. Had she really been so focused on Fett that she didn't hear a ship landing right above her?

    Fett pressed a button on his wrist, and an access ramp lowered from the middle of his ship. Again, he pulled her arm. She had expected that this time though, and pulled away.

   “Where are we going?” She asked, finally finding her voice. Her voice did not sound nearly as confident as she would have liked. He didn't immediately make another move to grab her. Instead, he gave her that same considering glare from before.

  “ _Business_.” He said, dismissively. She opened her mouth to protest but he swooped down, throwing her over his shoulder. The sudden movement made her legs hit one another and this time, she really did faint. The sound of jangling spurs were the last thing she heard before the world went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

A loud roar filled her ears, she felt herself being pushed back - then just as quickly released - and she fell back over. The sudden movement woke Koda up, and she groaned; her head felt like she had been stepped on by a bantha. She took her time opening her eyes, but the room she was in was not bright. 

She was in a small cage against the wall; it was tall enough for her to stand, but too narrow to stretch out her legs. She was as sprawled out as was possible in such a confined space, as though she had been unceremoniously dumped to the floor. Thick, cylindrical bars spaced close together prevented her escape and pressed into her back and legs. There was another, larger, empty cage next to her. She grabbed ahold of the bars, wondering if she could bend them with the Force.

The only light came from a dim emergency bulb in the ceiling. Across the small room from where she sat, several cages stood stacked, with a net laid over them. They cast large shadows on the wall; Koda was worried that she wasn't alone. In between the cages and the crates, a ladder reached into the ceiling. Everything was meticulously clean, even the cage floor, and there was a hint of product in the air, biting her nose. 

She pulled herself to a standing position, trying to get her bearings, and the pain from her foot brought back a rush of memory. Fett…… She was in his ship. She was his prisoner.

The gravity of the situation hit her full force, and Koda began to panic. This couldn't be happening, all of her training wasted;  _ she  _ was supposed to be hunting  _ him _ .  _ Damn Fett… Damn Gardulla… Damn everything.  _ Wasn't she supposed to have the Force on her side? 

_ The Force. _ Now was the time to use it, if ever. She held her hands out close to the bars and closed her eyes, willing them to bend. If she didn't hold back, Fett was no match for her; how could he be? But the image of his helmeted glare and rifle pointed to the sky crept into her mind, making her shrink back. He wasn't normal. There was great strength in him, great will. Something told Koda that she wouldn't be the greatest danger Fett had ever faced; she might not even be on the list of his most threatening situations. 

Koda opened her eyes, and wasn't surprised to see that the bars remained just as they had before her attempt. Fett was making her doubt herself. 

There was only one way out of this cage, but of course he had taken her bag when he locked her up. This knowledge only heightened her sense of panic. If Fett looked through her belongings, he would know. And she would soon be dead. 

Desperate, she attempted to will the bars to move once more, but the result was the same. If only she knew where Fett had put her belongings… At present her only hope seemed to be to trick him into letting her out of the cage and then overwhelming him with physical force, an option she was not excited to try.  _ And that's assuming he will even come down here for me.  _ She couldn't shake the fear that he would figure out what she was and then simply fly to the nearest imperial port and turn her in, leaving her with no chance to escape.  _ No, I mustn't feel fear. I just need to focus… _

_ - _

The sound of jangling spurs caught Koda’s attention, breaking her out of meditation. Fett was climbing down the ladder into the combination brig and cargo hold. Koda quickly adopted what she thought would be a more casual position, stretching out her legs and leaning against the cage, closing her eyes as if she were asleep. 

She heard what sounded like Fett jumping off the last few ladder rungs and landing solidly on the floor. For a moment she came close to smirking, having to remind herself that Fett could be coming down here to kill her. From what she had observed, Fett was practical and calculating, but still, he had  _ flair.  _

He took a few heavy steps until she could feel him standing almost against the cage, staring. Goosebumps spread down her arms and she could hear her heartbeat pounding; she knew she was avoiding the inevitable by feigning sleep, but Koda couldn't bring herself to acknowledge Fett's presence. The flop in her stomach, the pounding heart, the… Heat. Koda had been on the run most of her life, and had more than a few close calls, but this was her first time reacting in such a way. Part of her wanted to preserve this moment, when anything could happen. 

Fett didn't appear to feel the same way. 

“Stop that pretending. Get up.” He didn't need to raise his voice to sound threatening, and the rough, slightly clipped tones went straight through her, making Koda shiver. Her cover blown, she slowly opened her eyes, pushing herself up to a more natural sitting position. She was even with his waist; she stared for a moment, wondering about a certain dent in his codpiece, before catching herself and darting her eyes downward. Her eye met his shins, where several knives stuck out of his pockets. Fear bubbled up again, and she looked away from Fett entirely. 

_ I am a Jedi. The Force is my ally. All Fett has is himself. _

Before Fett could speak again, Koda dragged her gaze up to meet his. He still had his helmet on, which seemed ridiculous now that they were out in space. She wanted to see his face; Koda had no idea what a man like Fett could look like.

Slowly, deliberately, she pulled herself to her feet, forcing herself to not use the cage for support. Her foot hurt worse than ever, but she knew the problem was mostly the swelling. Eventually it would heal on its own; she would have to deal with the limitation for the time being. She stood as tall as possible, keeping her gaze locked with where she guessed his eyes were, waiting for him to speak. 

“Who sent you after me?” Fett kept his voice low, so low that she felt herself being drawn in closer. Koda said nothing, doing her best to hide the way his voice made her tremble. 

Then-

“What are you going to do with me?” Koda blurted out recklessly.  _ I need to calm down, he isn't even doing anything.  _

Fett stepped even closer to her cage, so that he was standing over her, looking down. 

“I'm asking the questions, here.” Fett growled, “I don't want to ask again. Who sent you after me?”

He was making it difficult for Koda to focus, but she steeled herself and attempted a glare to match his.

“Tell me, Fett. Are you in the habit of revealing your clients when people ask?” Her voice didn't shake, for which she was thankful. Fett didn't react for a moment, then raised his hand, poking her in the chest.

“I'm not in the habit of getting caught by my targets. Or at all.” 

_ Ouch.  _ Koda had to admit that Fett was right about that. When she continued to say nothing, he turned to go. 

“I'll deal with you later,” he growled. She didn't like the threat in his tone. 

She knew from watching him that Boba Fett had remarkable patience, but she didn't trust it to hold out long enough for her to find a way to escape. Patience had never been Koda’s strength, anyway.  _ I need to give him reason to keep me around... _

“I'll give you information…” She said, carefully. Fett stopped with his back to her, his helmet slightly turned towards her voice. She took it as encouragement to continue. “... If I can get some information in return.” 

He faced her, arms folded across his chest. Even covered by his suit, Koda could tell his muscles were impressive. He scoffed, making her drag her gaze back up toward his helmet. 

“You're in a cage on  _ my _ ship. I'll get my information, and the sooner I get it the better off you'll be.” This was the longest she had hear him speak, and Koda couldn't help but want to hear more. 

“You'll let me go?” She whispered. 

Fett didn't move, didn't speak, making her feel hopeful. 

“If I tell you… Everything… You'll let me go?” It seemed impossible; she couldn't betray a Hutt. But perhaps if she told Fett, he would value the tip enough to release her. She could go back into hiding. That pull from the Force that led her to Gardulla… Following it was a mistake; being a bounty hunter couldn't be her path. 

Fett's arms twitched, bringing Koda back to the moment. He had been watching her during her deliberation, she realized.

“Yes.” He was quiet, but she finally felt hopeful. She focused her eyes on his visor, meaning to thank him, but she sensed his deceit. 

_ He's not going to release me.  _ All of her years running, surviving… Her master’s sacrifice… all for nothing. Fett would ruin everything, and he didn't even care. Anger bubbled up within her, and she couldn't entirely suppress it. 

“Just tell me one thing, Fett.” She was trying, and failing, to keep the anger out of her voice. His name came out like a curse, “That armor you're wearing, what  _ true _ Mandalorian did you steal it from?” 

It happened so fast, Koda didn't have time to react. Fett had reached through the bars and wrapped his hand around her throat, squeezing just enough to make breathing difficult. When he spoke, his voice came out strained.

“This armor was given by someone with more honor than you could understand.”

“There's no honor in lying.” She gasped out. His fingers tightened, cutting out her air entirely. She started seeing spots, and her hands began to go numb. She was saved, however, by a beeping coming from above them. Fett let go of her, slowly backing away. 

“We're not done.” The indifference was back, and he left. 

The ship rocked again, and she felt them stop. For a moment she thought Fett would dump her out onto an unfriendly planet, but she sensed him leave the ship entirely. She massaged her throat, not looking forward to their next meeting. 


	4. Chapter 4

Hours, maybe even a day had passed. Fett was away long enough for Koda to finally rest, spent from her unfortunate previous encounter with him. Her throat had stopped hurting, but Koda caught herself rubbing it, thinking of what she had said to push him over the edge.   
She knew a little about the Mandalorians; the Jedi had some dealings with them during the war. They were proud, obsessed with honor, and divided into numerous, violent factions. Fett, she knew less about. She supposed that he could very well be a Mandalorian, But something in how quickly and severely he jumped to the defense told her that he probably wasn't.   
Fett had said the armor was given to him, but by whom? He had a strong bond with them, whomever they were. Koda was having difficulty imagining the stoic Fett having a close relationship with anyone. Now that she really thought about it, she had never come across anyone who really new anything about the man. Despite her attempts, she couldn't feel anything from him when he was near.   
Koda sighed, catching herself rubbing her throat again. She repositioned her hands over the bars; she was back to trying to bend them. It was a vain effort, since her mind kept wandering back to the bounty hunter. Being choked by him brought up strange feelings, unlike anything she had ever experienced. It was thrilling, the feeling of his fingers wrapping around her, having control over her breath. Though she knew she should have been, Koda was not afraid. Fett was so strong, so sure of himself. She needed to know more about him. She wanted to know his past, what he was like. His face.   
There was something pushing on her mind, and she finally chose to acknowledge it. When Fett had his hand around her, when her world was going fuzzy, a sound had risen to her throat. It was low, quiet -- Koda, herself had barely heard it. It was unlike any noise she had made before, and she hoped Fett hadn't heard it. She wasn't sure what it meant, but it was brought on by him.   
He had been gone for some time now. She didn’t know how long. Fett had stripped her of her timepiece, of everything, save for her clothes. She flushed, picturing his rough hands moving up and down her unconscious body, searching. She wished that she had been awake, and immediately felt ashamed.  
She had no idea when the bounty hunter would be back. She had been locked up at least a day, she knew. Her stomach tensed more frequently, and the need to relieve herself was growing difficult to ignore. Her tongue felt like sandpaper on the roof of her mouth. Her body was calling her to sleep, at least for partial relief from her discomfort. But she didn't dare. She wanted to be awake when Fett returned. She couldn’t miss an opportunity to interact with him again, or allow him the upper hand.   
She supposed that this was technically torture. Fett was capable of much worse, she knew. There were rumors of the man quite literally pulling teeth, or breaking the limbs of those who simply hesitated in offering information. Once, she heard that he abandoned a man on a planet of carnivorous beasts. That knowledge sat like a stone in her gut. How far would this go?  
There really was nothing for her to do at the moment besides meditate. The bars were going nowhere fast. Fett was making her physically weak, but she could still retain her spiritual strength. All the better, this situation brought her closer to her training. She sat with her legs crossed and folded in front of her. Normally, she would be perched upon her ankles, but the injured one was still swollen. It had settled to a dull but steady throbbing.   
At least this would mute the pain for awhile. Koda worked on steadying her breath.   
The Force enveloped her, making her feel reassured, warm, and safe. Despite everything, she felt that her being here, on Fett’s ship, was correct. How could it not be? It had been the Force’s pull that brought her to him in the first place. Whatever happened to her next was meant to be.   
The feel of the energy was calming, a steady push and pull not unlike an ocean’s tides. Lost in the feeling, she recognized the beginnings of a vision. She welcomed it, as one welcomes an old friend.   
It had been so long…  
She was so lost...  
She was no longer on Slave I. She was not in space at all. There was solid ground beneath her feet.  
She was walking. Leaves, twigs, all kinds of forest debris crunched beneath sturdy boots. She wore comfortable robes, and there was a reassuring weight at her side.   
She felt a familiar, comforting presence next to her. Other, less noticeable though just as familiar, surrounded them.   
There were countless, towering trees on all sides. The light of this planet’s sun was warm, pleasant. She felt no pain.   
The presence next to her stopped. So did she.   
There was a hand on her shoulder. She turned, and looked into the eyes of her Master.   
“Padawan, do you feel that?” His brows were drawn close; she was not used to seeing him so concerned.  
She tried, closing her eyes and feeling.   
“Something is wrong.” That was all she knew.   
“Yes, my Padawan. I'm sorry, Koda.” He corrected himself and sighed. “Time has gone so quickly, I forget your progress. Soon you will have your trial of Courage…. but there's no time now.” He grasped both of her shoulders, fingers digging into her almost painfully.   
“You must get out of here. When the time comes, don't worry about me.” He shook her. It was frightening, she had never seen any Jedi with that look in their eyes before.   
“Master?” she sounded small.  
“No!” His voice, typically warm and relaxed, was hushed, urgent, “promise me. Run. Don't stop running.”   
She nodded shakily. What did he know that she didn't?   
“Promise!”  
“I promise, Master”  
His eyes softened, just a little. He looked almost sad. But he squeezed her shoulders a final time.  
“Now. Go. Don't be followed. And Koda,” he gently touched his forehead to hers before pushing her away, “may the Force be with you.”  
Dutifully, she turned and ran into the surrounding forest. She heard the others, the Clone soldiers she had known since she was a child, call after her. She didn't stop. She heard blaster fire behind her, and saw some shots whizz past her head.   
She came to a cliff, much too high to jump off of. Panting, she glanced to either side, but before she could take another step, she heard someone run up behind her. She whipped around, pulling out her blade.   
One of the clone soldiers stood in front of her, one of her friends. He was aiming his blaster at her. For a moment, neither of them moved. She saw his hands were shaking.   
“S…. sorry” he choked out. He fired, but Koda deflected the bolt easily.   
“What is going on? Stop this!” She cried.   
He fired again, moving towards her. Her breath shook, deflecting each bolt as it came to her. He began to walk forward, shooting with each step.  
“My orders…” his paces were more confident now, though she could still keep up with his shots.   
“What orders? My master did not give you any orders! Please, do not do this!” she was approaching the edge of the cliff as he got closer, running out of room.   
“Kill…” the clone forced himself to stop, clutching his helmet. He looked to be in pain, twisting around and groaning.   
Without sheathing her blade, Koda neared him. His entire aura had changed; she no longer recognized him. There was no feeling of kindness or humor. He was tugging hard at his helmet, like he forgot how to remove it. Hand shaking, she reached out and pressed the release above his shoulder.   
Koda jumped back as the helmet flew off from the clone’s writhing. Immediately, he turned toward her. His tanned skin was shiny with sweat, nostrils flared as he grew visibly enraged with the sight of her. His severe brows lowered and he lunged at her, snarling.  
“Die, Jedi!”  
“NO” Koda yelled, forcing herself out of the vision. She blinked rapidly, taking in the sight of the cargo bay. Her chest rose and fell quickly, making her light headed. Slowly, shakily, she rested her head against the cool bars of her cage and focused her attention on the hard floor spinning beneath her. Beads of sweat dripped down her face, splashing onto the metal. The wet splatters looked red to her, like the blood that would spill from her heart when Boba Fett realized that she was a Jedi. Blood… she was bleeding out. Koda was dying in this cage on the Slave I and no one cared. The bounty hunter would return to find her drained corpse and dump her out with the rest of the trash.  
“I am a Jedi,” she breathed, “the Force is my ally. I am a Jedi. The Force is my ally. I am a Jedi. The Force is my ally. I am a Jedi. The Force is my ally. I am a Jedi. The Force is my ally.” Over and over she chanted, the words running together and barely audible.   
The floor gradually steadied under her, no longer dizzying. It was wet with sweat, not blood. The air became easier to breathe. Koda, and everything around her, felt more real. She wasn’t dead, not yet.   
Calm now, she reached out a hand to the bars. Closing her eyes and breathing slow and deep, she focused all her will into making them bend. On her exhale she felt the slightest movement. Not being able to help herself, Koda opened her eyes and was thrilled to see an almost imperceptible bend to one of the thick bars. She was about to try again when a hydraulic hiss filled the air. One of the cargo bay’s walls lifted up, bringing in natural light and fresh air. She jumped as the cage next to her swung open.   
Koda scrambled to her feet and tried to get a view out of the cargo door. Her eyes widened; a large, green besalisk was treading up the loading ramp. He had to be well over seven feet tall, Koda couldn't even see Fett behind its hulking mass. His four large arms were bound behind his back and dark blood dripped down his wide, fishlike face. His bulbous throat wattle, characteristic of the species, jiggled with each step. His yellow eyes glittered when he caught sight of her.  
“Well, Boba Fett,” the besalisk sneered in a deep, slimy gowl, “I didn’t know you offered in-flight entertainment.”   
“Get into the cage, Lask” Fett deadpanned from behind the captive. He shoved Lask forward, though he barely fit in the cell. He ended up with even less room than Koda, just enough to sit down with his knees, back, and arms painfully compressed on all sides.   
“You’re crazy for this, you know that?” Lask hissed, his large tongue emerging to quickly lick at his thick, pale lips. His gaze swept over the bounty hunter, who appeared thoroughly unimpressed, “I know Jabba’s price. This isn’t even worth your time. I could pay you double!”  
Lask let out a grunt of pain as the cage door forcefully swung shut on his knees. Fett turned away, completely ignoring him.   
Koda shuffled to the far corner of her cell, not entirely thrilled with her new roommate. Her movement seemed to remind Fett of her presence, for he turned and stared hard at her. She swallowed, her eyes were wide and she hoped he wouldn’t notice the ever so slight curve of the bar she grasped onto.   
He stepped close, his chestplate brushing just barely against her white knuckles. He was splattered with blood, which she was relieved to see was not his.  
Wait, why was she relieved…?  
“You’re time’s almost up. Ready to talk?” he asked, his voice low.  
“I think you already know the answer to that, Fett” Koda answered automatically, looking up to his visor. She couldn’t help but gasp a little. The natural sunlight coming through the cargo door directly hit Fett’s helmet, streaming through his visor. Standing this close, she was just able to make out the shape of his eyes and finally meet his gaze.   
Some part of her insides clenched, and without thinking she pressed her body into the cell wall towards him. The direct eye contact must have alerted Fett that his darkened visor wasn’t entirely doing its job, because the door immediately shut, leaving Koda blinking in the relative darkness.   
“We’ll be on Tatooine in twenty-four hours. Let me know when you get some sense, or Jabba might be getting a new toy.” he threatened.   
“What do you mean we’re going to Tatooine?” Koda couldn't conceal her surprise.   
Lask let out a dark chuckle from his seat on the floor.  
“You are a stupid girl if you’ve never heard of Jabba the Hutt.” he gave her a wink, “But, I wouldn’t mind if you got dropped off there with me.”  
Koda’s eyes snapped from Lask back to Fett. She surely wasn’t the only bounty hunter Gardulla sent after him. If he went back to Tatooine, Gardulla would know when his ship landed and see to it that he didn’t make it back out. This had to be a trap. How could Fett not know?  
He didn’t move, and Koda knew that he was waiting for her to spill everything.  
“I don’t think that’s a good idea” she whispered, trying to keep her voice too low for the besalisk to hear.   
“Maybe not for you, unless you want to talk” Fett hissed back.   
That wasn’t an option, he had to know that. Still, she supposed she was dead either way. Koda turned away from him and sunk to the floor. She was so thirsty, she didn’t think she could keep getting and up and down like this.   
Once it was clear she was done talking, Fett left up the ladder. She listened to each of his steps and for the first time experienced the full feeling of his presence. It weighed heavily on her, making her feel painful nostalgia; she could sense his frustration and anger as if it were her own.   
Without Koda realizing it, hot tears streamed down her face.   
She nearly jumped out of her skin when an enormous, clammy hand grasped around her leg. She looked over into Lask’s menacing smirk as he growled.   
“It’s just you and me down here now, girlie.”


End file.
